Should I put in a 2nd battery

[Davejm74]

I Just bought my first boat and im the process of learning lots of new stuff. I have read lots of post on a dual battery set-up for people running lots of different accessories.

My question is..... Should I consider a dual battery set up if Im just running a very simple AM/FM/CD with 2 basic speakers? I dont have amps installed or any other accessories. The only thing that may run at the same time as the stereo would be in the rare occasion, the Nav Lights.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

second batteries just give you longer key off run time. Get a portable jump pack, and then run a season to see if you actually NEED the second battery or not.

 

[rbh]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

A couple or more hours of cranked tunes will kill a battery quit fast actually.
Go for the second battery and install an isolator switch.

 

[Davejm74]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

Thanks!

The other thing I should mention is that I think (based on what I have read here) that I need to put a different battery in the boat anyway. The battery wired to the boat currently is a "Deep Cycle" battery. I believe I should be using a "Starter" battery if what I have seen here is correct. So I would have the deep cycle battery just sitting at home and all I would need is a battery tray and a switch and a couple new wires.

Further opinions?

 

[ziggy]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

i have the same concern on my boat. i use the stereo + nav lights. since ya need the start batt. anyways, ya got most of what ya need to do two. i'd think this is best if ya got the room.
in lieu of no second batt. i've been taking a jump pack on board everytime out. so far it's givin me peace of mind thinking there's at least hope i can jump myself...

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

in lieu of no second batt. i've been taking a jump pack on board everytime out. so far it's givin me peace of mind thinking there's at least hope i can jump myself...

thats exactly what i do. alot lighter than a full battery, and I have yet to use it. I usually don't park more than an hour straight with the stereo on, and I've got an on-board voltage meter wired into the stereo circuit, so I can glance at the voltage.

 

[Snobike Mike]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

I love the fact that my boat came with a dual battery setup. When we're on the hook I switch to just one batt and run the stereo. While we have never run it down, if we did, it's just a turn of the battery switch and I'm good to go.

Cheers.

 

[Davejm74]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

thats exactly what i do. alot lighter than a full battery, and I have yet to use it. I usually don't park more than an hour straight with the stereo on, and I've got an on-board voltage meter wired into the stereo circuit, so I can glance at the voltage.

So some are able to just sit for an hour (or so) without having any problems? I can always go home and charge up a battery also. I'm still reading posts and trying to decide if I should bother with a second battery.

Thanks again for your responses!

 

[ovrrdrive]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

When faced witht he same decision I went to walmart and bought one of the cheapest deep cycle batts they had and have it isolated from the boats electrical system and run just the radio off of it. It felt good to have a seperate battery anyway just for redundancy anyway. I just put a trolling motor on this weekend and added 2 more batts for it. I am running a 3 bank charger for the troling batteries and the house battery, and let the motor charge the starting battery.

I can run the stereo all day now and never have to worry.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

For an outboard, a deep cycle battery is just fine and with a standard stereo system with no high power amp you will not kill the battery in a couple hours. if you do, you really need a new battery. A dual purpose (starting/deep cycle) is another option. Or a standard starting battery will work as well. You have very little accessory draw so any of the three are just fine (provided they have enough reserve capacity). Obviously a motor cycle size battery won't work.

 

[642mx]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

I'm running a few speakers, couple subs, and 3 amplifiers.... all with one battery! You don't need to stack batteries to enjoy a good sound system.

Now, which battery you choose becomes real important when your running a system like mine. I've got a Duralast Dual Purpose battery from AZ. Its got all the deep cycle capabilities plus 1000 cranking amps.

I've had this set up for more than 100 hours of boating and its never been a problem.

 

[Davejm74]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

Thanks guys! Like i said in my earlier post, I'm new to all of this and I'm trying to learn as much as possible. From the sounds of things you guys may have saved me some work. As opposed to buying a different battery and putting a switch in, maybe I will just buy a booster pack to have as a back-up.

 

[Davejm74]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

Tell ya what I told another new owner.

Sitting in your driveway (or where ever its stored) turn on the stereo for say 4 or 5 hours and then try starting your engine. My bet, it fires right up.

The sort of stereo you are are talking about is probably 10 watts per channel so even at full volume its using 20 watts and losing maybe 10 watts in electrical/heat loses. That is not much of a load on a fully charged battery.

Sounds like a really, well.....common sense idea. And a good one at that. It really IS the only way to know what I can expect from it. I'll give it a shot!

Thanks Bubba!

 

[rbh]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

Tell ya what I told another new owner.

Sitting in your driveway (or where ever its stored) turn on the stereo for say 4 or 5 hours and then try starting your engine. My bet, it fires right up.

The sort of stereo you are are talking about is probably 10 watts per channel so even at full volume its using 20 watts and losing maybe 10 watts in electrical/heat loses. That is not much of a load on a fully charged battery.

"I agree",
but I always worry because we camp in one spot for a day or two. As well as the tunes we also have lights going ETC.
If your going out for a couple of days of camping, compared to an hour or two on the beach, this may be a different ball game.
(I really need a GEN set)

 

[redone4x4]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

I carry a spare battery in our boat. So, i have 2 batteries but only 1 is hooked up. it only takes me about 2 min. to switch them out on the water. I never have needed it, but its there and i switch it regularly so it stays charged. just a thought.
Im not sure if its worth adding the extra cable and perko switch when i dont really need it. i have a plain ol kenwood cd player with 4 speakers, no amp and no other electronics either.

 

[ovrrdrive]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

The type of boating you're doing makes a difference too. If you're putting around on a lake you can probably get by with one but if you fish in salt water you'd be better off with a spare. Where I fish is about 20 miles from the ramp. I wouldn't go out there without a spare battery. If you run out of juice even the vhf won't work. Better hope someone sees your flare...

 

[capt sam]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

you can also wire the batteries so the accessory one will start the boat by turning the battery switch to All, which is how my boat is set up.

 

[marcortez]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

Ditch the stereo all together!!!

"Tune" in the sounds of nature....tules rustling in the breeze, birds chirping, fish splashing, and all the "quiet" sounds of virtually "nothing"
You could hear a hook drop on the deck, it's so quiet.

Just joking........blast it if you got it....

But in all seriousness, when your up and running or just idling along, "tune" your ear to the engine and how it sounds.
In short order, you will know when something does not sound "just right" and can take action before something goes "bang"

 

[4mattd]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

I dont have room for a large 2nd battery and wanted to play the stereo without having to worry about the main battery being drained.
I purchased a small 12v battery from Cabela's and wired it to my stereo directly. i've never had it run out of juice on a day of boating.
I've got a JVC deck with two speakers, and no additional amps.
Dont know if this would work for larger systems.

 

[bhammer]

Re: Should I put in a 2nd battery

I have thought back and forth about this many times. For now, I use a black and Decker jump box. I just make sure it is charged before heading out. In the several years I have had this boat, I have not had to use it yet. I run the stereo at a modest volume with 4 speakers, XM tuner, and various air pumps for the tubes and what not. I also have an inverter that I can plug to charge up the laptop or run blender when so needed.